West Virginia, USA - Frankfort Middle School’s Teal Steel Drum Band can safely say they are known throughout the world as they were featured in the February issue of the International Lion’s Club magazine — a publication distributed to all nations around the globe.

Mineral County Board of Education member Terry LaRue announced this achievement at the Feb. 19 board meeting, saying he would “like to applaud Roger (Henry), Fred (Kesner), and all who were involved.”

Trinidad - The Steelband Movement mourns the passing of one of its foremost contributors, Oscar Pile, who saw the birth of the Steelband Association and who throughout his life played significant roles.

Oscar imparted his knowledge and shared very much of his experiences during his many stints as lecturer on “The Evolution of the Steelband”. His lecture audiences could have been found in London, New York, the Caribbean and here at home.

Maryland - The sounds of the Caribbean echoed through Paint Branch Elementary School on Feb. 21 as the county’s first elementary school steel band, Tropical Breeze, debuted to an adoring audience of parents and peers.

The 15 students, who ranged in age from second to sixth grade, wore brightly colored tropical shirts with yellow and orange flowers, while performing Luther Vandross’ ‘‘The Impossible Dream” and ‘‘The Prayer” by Yolanda Adams and Donnie McClurkin. The performance was part of the school’s celebration of Black History Month.

Trinidad - One of the old soldiers of the steelband movement passed away yesterday, leaving panmen to mourn a man who fought valiantly so they could enjoy the concord they do today.

Oscar Pyle died while warded at the Port of Spain General Hospital following a short illness. He was 86 years old.

Pyle founded the legendary Casablanca Steelband from Belmont in 1945, and led the band as it delivered the first ever performance of classical music by a steel orchestra when it presented a recital at Whitehall in 1948.

Pyle was also a founding member of the Steelband Association (Pan Trinbago), which was formed in 1950. Pyle was, in 1974, presented with the Public Service Medal of Merit (Gold) for his contribution to the development of the steelpan.

Trinidad - The Birdsong Academy and Bon Air High School tied for first place yesterday in Class 45a – Junior Instrumental Ensemble —at the morning session of the 28th Music Festival at Queen’s Hall in Port-of-Spain.

Ten groups treated the Festival adjudicator, Professor Melvin Hurst, and members of the audience to pieces of their own choice in the category for up to 19 years of age, three to nine players.

Frankford, Maryland, USA-- The boys, dressed in oversized "Trinidad & Tobago" tropical tees, bobbed their heads as the mallets hit the steeldrums.

Nine students from Southern Delaware School of the Arts and Indian River High School took a 10-day field trip to the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The steelpan -- better known as steeldrums on the Eastern Shore -- originated from the two islands and continues to play a major role in their culture.
 

Nothing captures the spirit and excitement of the moment like a still photo of a steelpan player on panorama night.  See and feel the intense flashes and moments of pure joy as captured by Pan Podium.

St. John, USVI - The Love City Pan Dragons are gearing up for another exciting year of performances, and, attention St. John youth: they want you to join them. The Pan Dragons provides an opportunity for the island’s children to learn the history of steel pan, build self esteem by performing in front of live crowds and, of course, stay out of trouble.

“The program is designed to prevent dropouts, pregnancy, alcohol and drug use, to encourage kids to stay in school and to promote conflict resolution in a supervised program,” said Ira Wade, one of the original organizers of the youth steel pan orchestra and the father of a Love City Pan Dragon himself. “Playing in front of public audiences helps the kids develop self esteem and poise, and they learn to focus and concentrate. They also develop teamwork skills, and some of the older kids have leadership roles.”

Roseau, Dominica -  This all-boys secondary education institution in Roseau, Dominica, is one of three participants in the joint collaborative Steelpan in Schools initiative, between Dominica’s Cultural Division and UNESCO.  Background steelpan instruments (bass, tenor bass, guitars and cellos) were manufactured by Edward ‘Eddie’ André, and frontline instruments (tenors and double seconds) were made in and imported from St. Lucia, with overall funding provided by UNESCO.  Assisting the school’s music teacher, and dealing specifically with the steelpan component of the music program, Mr. Neville Christian was quietly proud of the acquisition of the different voices of instruments, noting that they currently had between sixteen and twenty boys from various forms interested in learning to play the instrument.

From when the Stewart family arrived and were met by steelband arranger Yohan Popwell, who brought them straight to CLICO Sforzata's Pan Theatre, the band Popwell arranged for - it was non-stop action.  Sforzata Steel Orchestra sounded great, with Jamma and his family staying in the pan theater until the wee hours of the morning.  

Trinidad - Necessity is the mother of invention and this truth has been proven time and time again through the ages as man sought to make life and living easier and more enjoyable. A man six decades ago in need of a means through which to express himself musically, but with hardly a penny to his name, turned to an old steel drum and after pounding it for a bit ended up creating musical notes. Thus was born the steelpan and the most enthralling musical sound one can ever hear.

Antigua - At yet another brief ceremony at Government House on Monday, another batch of nine Antiguans and Barbudans were officially pinned with their national medals of honour by Governor-General Dame Louise Lake-Tack in recognition of their various contributions to the country’s development.

Among the awardees was Veron Henry, whose services to steelpan building and arrangement garnered him the Commander of the Most Illustrious Order of Merit award. A longstanding, ardent lover of the art form, Henry told the Antigua Sun that he is grateful and feels privileged to be the recipient of such prestigious award of merit.

Trinidad - MUSIC Festival adjudicator Prof Mary Legge has once more expressed her new-found love for the steelpan.

Legge told the audience at Naparima Bowl, San Fernando, that musicians who take the work of classical writers and arrange them for the pan should be awarded a Nobel prize.

"For a piece, written for the piano, to be transformed into a pan piece is remarkable," Legge said. "That is quite fascinating."

Legge was commenting following the performance of the Golden Hands Steel Orchestra in the Chamber Music Trio class on Thursday night. The band was awarded 90 points for its rendition of a variation on the "Golliwog's Cakewalk" by French composer, Claude Debussy. "That was a magical performance," Legge told members of the band.

Antigua - At yet another brief ceremony at Government House on Monday, another batch of nine Antiguans and Barbudans were officially pinned with their national medals of honour by Governor-General Dame Louise Lake-Tack in recognition of their various contributions to the country’s development.

Among the awardees was Veron Henry, whose services to steelpan building and arrangement garnered him the Commander of the Most Illustrious Order of Merit award. A longstanding, ardent lover of the art form, Henry told the Antigua Sun that he is grateful and feels privileged to be the recipient of such prestigious award of merit.

Indiana, USA - Steel drums aren’t just for Caribbean music anymore.

Tuesday, February 26, the best evidence will come to the Victory Theatre in Evansville, as the University of Evansville welcomes the Southpaw Isle Steelband. Part of the Patricia H. Snyder Concert & Lecture Series, the Southpaw Isle Steelband’s performance takes the steeldrum in a new direction.

The concert will begin at 7 p.m.; admission is free and open to the public.

"The steeldrum is a unique instrument; it is one of the only acoustic instruments developed in the 20th century to gain a wide audience," said Mark Stone, director of the Southpaw Isle Steelband. "And with this particular band, you have a group that’s taking the steeldrum in a brand new direction.

Trinidad - PAN players Vanessa Headley and Richarde Bereaux were at the top of their game when they took part in the 28th Trinidad and Tobago Music Festival at Naparima Bowl, San Fernando, on Monday night.

Headley and Bereaux, members of the Golden Hands Steel Orchestra in San Fernando, were competitors in the Improvisation on Steel Pan class and were both awarded 90 points-well above the required 85.

The sixteen (16) steelband finalists “live” performances of their Panorama tunes are now available for your listening and viewing pleasure on CD and DVD.

The entire CD comprises the music of the eight (8) Medium Bands and eight (8) Large Bands as they performed before their panel of adjudicators at the National Panorama Finals held at Skinner Park, San Fernando, on Saturday 02nd February 2008.

Roseau, Dominica - At carnival time in Dominica, one of the mainstay events of the season activities is the semi annual Pan by The Bay steelband music exhibition.  The steelpan affair is staged on the Tuesdays prior to the island's Carnival and Independence celebrations.  Once again the Dominican Steelband Association brought When Steel Talks to Dominica to cover the event.  We were not disappointed.  Much, much more than Carnival was transpiring here in Dominica.  This steelpan instrument continues to be a surging component of the Dominican music education, cultural and social scene.

Roseau, Dominica - Simeon Joseph is busy with all the challenges that present themselves to a person charged with the responsibility of playing a lead role in the development of a nation’s youth. Energetic but courteous youngsters, boys and girls, dashed about the schoolyard, as Joseph attended to visitors to the Dominica Grammar School in Roseau, Dominica, and to his students and staff. Part of the backdrop visual for the educational institution is the recently-built Windsor Park Sports Stadium.

UK - 2007 has been a very memorable year for BAS and its UK steelband communities. The move of the National Steelband Panorama, ‘Champions of Steel ‘competition, the UK’s premier pre-Carnival event, from Kensal Road into Hyde Park, at the heart of the world’s most diverse capital was the biggest transformation of this competition since its inception. It is envisaged that the opportunities Hyde Park offers will be maximized for the benefit of the bands and for pan in general.

Trinidad - When steelpan history is written, Trinidad and Tobago’s 2008 Panorama Champions Phase II Pan Groove will undeniably have some of the most doggedly devoted steelpan musicians who answer the band’s Panorama clarion call year after year.  While the bulk membership is from Trinidad and Tobago, they are literally one of those orchestras whose representation on stage plays out like a ‘United Nations’ of pan.  In 2007, when the title was seemingly all but theirs with which to romp home, for their delivery and performance of leader and arranger, Len ‘Boogsie’ Sharpe’s Sharin’ Licks, they took their own cutarse, reeling in shock.  They went home to their Damien Street, Woodbrook panyard licking their wounds.  But they returned with a ‘Musical Vengeance’ in 2008, no doubt, from their viewpoint, to ‘right wrongs.’

Trinidad - In the mid to late 1950’s, steelband and panmen were very closely associated with and defined as badjohnism and hooliganism.  A steelband clash resulted in stabbing, cutting, lick down, buss head and chopping up with the odd killing.  These badjohns armed themselves with iron bolts, bull pistles, razors, cutlasses, ice picks, bottles and big stones, which were just some of the weaponry found in any steelband’s arsenal.  Our parents played pan and/or mas while our grandparents took us to “See Mas” including Ole Mas/J’Ouvert, on the streets of uptown Port of Spain.  However, we only saw the streets J’Ouvert morning, because, before we knew it we were moved to another level of seeing Mas, which was from the ever popular middle class vantage point, the blazing hot Bleachers in the Queen’s Park Savannah.

New York - With seemingly effortless technique, the steel drum orchestra of young musicians spun out music ranging from reggae to classical, calypso to jazz and hip-hop.

The soothing sounds lit up Kimberly Powel's face.

"This music always makes me feel like I'm on the beach with the sand between my toes and the sun on my face," said the bride-to-be, who had come to audition the orchestra to play for her wedding.

USA - St. Veronicas Youth Steel Orchestra performed at the White House on February 7, 2008. The group was invited to be the entertainment for the Helping America’s Youth Program celebration. Helping America’s Youth Program was initiated three years ago by the President and was chaired by the First Lady, Laura Bush. On this day the President signed an Executive Order establishing the Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs thus ensuring that the program will continue by the new incoming administration.

Trinidad - When Ronald Barnes left Champs Fleurs in Trinidad in 1967, little did he know that he would become a founding member of one of Washington DC’s foremost steelbands, Pan Masters, some eighteen years later.

The bass pannist cum percussionist never allowed ambition to muck his useful toil in his adopted country, as within a fairly short space of time he was to become a mechanical engineer following a stint at Howard University. He later achieved a Masters in Engineering Administration.